MISSOURI GIRL EATS WEEDS

I gathered quite a few things this week: heal-all, mullein, mimosa, shiso, princess tree, and bergamot. I finally decided on bergamot for this week’s column because it is prolific right now. You can’t drive anywhere outside the edge of town and not see a huge patch of bergamot. Also known as Bee Balm, Horsemint, or by its genus, Monarda, it is currently blooming along the roadsides and edges of the fields in giant groupings.

Let’s clear up a common misunderstanding. Okay, maybe it was just me that had this mistaken idea, but for some time I assumed this was the same as the bergamot that makes Earl Grey tea unique. Rather, that bergamot is from the citrus bergamia tree, which produces a fruit that looks like a lumpy, deformed lime. The fruit is grown almost exclusively in Calabria, a region of Italy that has been famous for the fruit since at least since the 1700s. It is the essential oil from the peel that is used in the famous tea. How an Englishman with a Scandinavian title who reportedly saved a drowning Chinese man and came to flavor his tea leaves with the oil of an ugly southern Italian citrus fruit peel that could cure schizophrenia is perhaps a story for another day. Maybe we’ll discuss this one in the Facebook group. 

But back to our own bergamot. Rather than citrusy, ours has a strong and distinct minty aroma, somewhat like oregano. There are so many things to love about Bergamot. Firstly, the ease of identification. It’s unmistakable. Perhaps it looks a little like a larger Heal-All blossom, but the smell will differentiate the two quickly.  

Leaves can be simply added to salads or cooked. You can collect the flower heads and allow them to dry, then store in a canning jar until you want a cup of tea. Then pop one in your mug and pour hot water over it. Sweeten with some local honey. Delicious and soothing! This simple preparation is good for congestion, headache or upset stomach. Due to its strong antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antibacterial, and antifungal properties, it has a wide range of uses, including fever, colic, sore throat, cough, nausea and gas. Topically it can be used on insect bites, boils and wounds. It has a calming effect on the nerves. One constituent of the plant, thymol, is popularly used as the antiseptic in mouthwash.

If you are a Facebook user, join the new Missouri Girl Eats Weeds group for more photos, recipes, group discussions, and links to past articles. You can also ask questions or share photos of your finds with the group! Share your experience with bergamot this week!